1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital audio mixer that has a plurality of channels and that controls operating states such as audio volume levels, signal characteristics, and the like of digitalized audio signals of channels according to a plurality of operating data values set for each of the channels and then mixes and outputs the audio signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a known audio mixer, signal levels of some groups belonging to a group called DCA group are collectively increased and decreased by manipulating a group master fader (DCA fader) while maintaining the relationship among the signal levels of the grouped channels (see Non-Patent Reference 1).
A channel can be assigned to a desired DCA group by depressing a selection (SEL) switch of the channel and depressing a selection switch of the DCA group. Here, it is possible to select a plurality of desired DCA groups. In a DCA group assignment mode, a desired channel can be assigned to a DCA group by depressing a selection switch of the DCA group and depressing a CUE switch of the desired channel. Here, it is possible to select a plurality of desired channels.
However, the user cannot determine the gain of each channel simply by viewing the position of a fader of each channel, but must read numerical values on the display unit to determine the gain of each channel.
In another known audio mixer, a group of operators that can be manipulated in conjunction with each other for channels associated with each other is set, and, if any channel fader in the group is manually operated, faders of other channels are forced to follow the operated channel fader via motor driving while maintaining the balance among the channels set immediately before the manual operation (see Patent Document 1).
In this audio mixer, it is possible to adjust gains of a group of channels and also to know (or determine) the gains of the channels using the positions of their channel faders. However, the gain of each channel must be individually checked.
In any prior art described above, it is difficult to determine channels to which a given group is assigned, particularly when a plurality of groups are present.
A digital audio mixer described in Non-Patent Document 1 (P. 76 and 77) has functions called an “equalizer link (EQ LINK)” and a “compression link (COMP LINK)”.
The following is a description of an example of the EQ link. The EQ link is a function to link equalizer (EQ) parameters of a plurality of channels. Simply manipulating an EQ parameter of one of the channels of the same group allows EQ parameters of all the other channels to follow the same value.
Accordingly, if a link group is formed, the values of specific parameters used to control channels of the link group become equal to each other. Even if a parameter value of any channel is changed thereafter, parameter values of other channels belonging to the same link group are kept equal to each other.
Thus, the user only has to check a parameter value of one of the channels belonging to the link group, without the need to individually confirm values of the other channels of the same link group.
The group assignment is performed by displaying an assignment screen for each parameter. The assignment screen has a matrix form with a horizontal axis representing channel numbers and a vertical axis representing link group numbers.
Channels which are to be assigned to a group can be linked to each other by displaying marks at intersections between the group and the channels. A “SET BY CUE” button is disposed for each group, and channels to be assigned to the group can be selected by selecting the SET BY CUE button and selecting the channels using their CUE switches.
When other channels have already been assigned to the link group, the same value of EQ parameters of the previously assigned channels is copied to an EQ parameter of a channel that is subsequently added to the group, so that the values of all the channels of the group are set equal.
However, the parameter link group in the above-mentioned prior art is simply a group of partial parameters that are linked to each other, without taking into consideration that multiple types of parameters are linked on a channel-by-channel basis. Particularly, gains that are adjusted using fader operators are grouped into a different type of group, i.e., a DCA group as described above.
Thus, when there is a need to assign a link group for multiple types of parameters, the assignment setting screen must be changed for each parameter, so that the assignment is troublesome.
In addition, channel numbers are arranged simply in the horizontal direction on the link group assignment screen. Thus, it is difficult to determine the relationship between the channel numbers and the channel strips on the panel. In order to select a channel by depressing a switch on a corresponding channel strip, it is necessary to first locate the channel strip.
Further, group numbers are arranged simply in the vertical direction. Therefore, if the number of groups is increased, it is difficult to determine the association between groups and channels since channels belonging to a single group are not necessarily adjacent to each other.
[Patent Reference 1] Japanese Patent No. 2630651, and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5054077.
[Non-Patent Reference 1] Yamaha Corporation, “PM5D/PM5D-RH manual”, “online”, (c) 2004, “searched on July 2005 (Heisei 17)”, Internet <http://www2.yamaha.co.jp/manual/pdf/pa/japan/mixers/PM5DJl. pdf>p.72-74.